Wednesday, April 28, 2010

Benefits Open Enrollment for the 2010-2011 Plan Year is here! This is your annual opportunity to review your benefit options and confirm or change your elections – making sure your benefits are right for your needs. The benefit elections you make during Open Enrollment will be effective June 1, 2010.

Review your options – either on My TotalSource or in the printed Open Enrollment Kit that you’ll receive (please allow 5-7 business days for delivery). You don’t have to wait for your kit to enroll online!

Consider your health care and other benefits needs – be prepared and informed.

Have your Social Security number and those of dependents you wish to cover, if applicable – you’ll need them to enroll online.

Complete your elections online at www.mytotalsource.com* by 04/30/2010. It’s faster, easier and more accurate than using a paper form to enroll.

You must actively enroll if you want to participate in a Health Care or Dependent Care Flexible Spending Account (FSA). FSA elections don’t roll over from year to year.

On My TotalSource you’ll find:

Access to your current benefit elections

Summaries of your 2010 benefit options so you can make educated choices

Immediate confirmation of your elections

Timely receipt of your new ID cards, if applicable

Even after Open Enrollment, you’ll find useful information on My TotalSource, including:

Access to My Paycheck (view your paycheck details and history)

Information on the Perks program (discounts on a wide range of premium-brand products, services and entertainment as well as Real Estate and Financial Services)

If You Don’t Take Action

If you don’t make any elections, you will automatically receive default coverage (the available plans that are most similar to your current elections) for the 2010-2011 Plan Year. Remember, your per-pay-period costs may change. To participate in Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAs), you must re-enroll each year; these elections do not roll over from year to year.

Remember, the last date to return your elections is 04/30/2010.

What’s Next?

After your Open Enrollment deadline date, you’ll receive a Confirmation Statement in the mail – it will list your benefit plans for the 2010-2011 Plan Year.

Please contact the Employee Service Center at (800) 554-1802 if you have any questions/concerns.

Regards,

Kristine Coyer, CSP

Human Resources Manager

*If you can’t enroll online, you may fill out the form included in your Open Enrollment Kit. FAX IT TO Kristine Coyer at 813-635-2945. Please call to confirm it was received.

Friday, April 23, 2010

Southern States Toyota lift and Florida Lift Systems recognize the necessity for equipment that must fill a temporary need in your business. That is why we carry a wide range of forklift rental units that are ready and waiting for you to use in your facility at short notice. With locations throughout Southern Georgia and Florida, chances are we have a location convenient for your business

Whether your needs are short term (a day to a few weeks) or long term (a few months or more), Southern States Toyota lift and Florida Lift have the proper forklift to meet your special needs.

Tuesday, April 13, 2010

We can thank Brad Birrenkott, Florida Lift Sales Team, for this insightful information helping a customer with the difference between the manual and electric pallet jacks.

“Thank you for the status update at L-3. After reading about your purchase process it makes sense that there should be some justification for the purchase. I did a little research myself that might be of assistance when compiling your evidence.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, more than one million workers suffer back injuries each year, and back injuries account for one of every five workplace injuries or illnesses. Further, one-fourth of all compensation indemnity claims involve back injuries, costing industry billions of dollars on top of the pain and suffering borne by employees (OSHA).

The stress of the manual jack can accumulate over a period of time. Safety professionals teach that the preferred method for applying force is to push, rather than pull a load, but with manual pallet jacks, that practice is hard to follow. I will say that in practical usage, both pushing and pulling are necessary to move, transport, and place a load. This is why electric pallet jacks were invented, to take the strain off the body and be able to move heavy loads safely and efficiently.

The general consensus regarding electric jacks vs. manual jacks can be summed up by the saying “an ounce of prevention vs. a pound of cure”. According to United States Department of Labor companies should “utilize power equipment rather than manual to reduce ergonomic stresses.” http://www.osha.gov/SLTC/etools/grocerywarehousing/transport_techniques.html. By reducing the stress on your employees the L-3 has reduced the potential for employee injury and expensive compensation claims.

I hope this is of some assistance in your process and I look forward to following up soon.”

Friday, April 9, 2010

Toyota Material Handling U.S.A., Inc. (TMHU) recently announced the 2009 winners of its prestigious President’s Award. TMHU selects its top dealers each year from a nationwide network of 68 dealers and 188 dealership locations, recognizing them for demonstrating excellence in parts, service and equipment sales, customer satisfaction and overall dealership operations.

This year, 15 winners earned the coveted award and were acknowledged at Toyota’s National Dealer Meeting in Orlando, Fla.

"Each year our dealers go above and beyond to demonstrate top quality service and support," said Brett Wood, president of TMHU. "The President’s Award provides TMHU with a way to showcase their achievements and honor their dedication to their customers and the material handling industry."

Wednesday, April 7, 2010

“Social Networking”
It’s a term most of us probably know little about, yet all of us have seen the tools.

Ever notice thisat the bottom of every single website and commercial now?

You probably even know that this is a link to a Facebook page. Have you ever clicked on it? Do you have a Facebook page?

The effects of the economy have been quite obvious over the last year, especially here at home. FLS and SST are reaching out and getting creative; we are doing whatever it takes to pull through, to gain ground, to beat out the competition, to come out on top. Now is the time to get our name, our brand, our services, in the mind of everyone. “Social Networking” is just one, but extremely powerful tool, we are developing to do this. Best of all, it’s free!

Help us expand our Network

Here is how you can participate in this effort and be a key player in making our home what it once was…It’s only 3 steps!

About Me

We partner with you to meet your needs and budget. As a leading dealer of Toyota forklifts in Georgia and Florida, we offer new and used forklifts, forklift maintenance, lift truck operator training as well as complete warehouse equipment and design. Whether it is forklift equipment, rack systems or other inventory handling or storage products, Southern States Toyota Lift and Florida Lift Systems are your complete material handling solution.